1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a schedule management system and, more particularly, to a system which allows a plurality of users to efficiently register and manage a routine schedule occurring in a substantially constant condition.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A typical schedule management system is a computer-based device for inputting a repetitive or periodical schedule, such as xe2x80x9cMeeting from 10:00 to 11:00 every day for 10 days from todayxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cMorning meeting from 9:00 on every Mondayxe2x80x9d.
However, irregular factors including a partial change/deletion such as xe2x80x9cMeeting starts at 2:00 only todayxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cMorning meeting is canceled in this weekxe2x80x9d are often brought in a periodically occurring schedule (hereinafter referred to as a routine schedule) of this kind. Also, it may be desired to delete a registered schedule in a bundle or change the content thereof as a result of a review of a project.
In a conventional schedule management system, it was difficult to input such irregularity when the schedule was generated in the manner similar to a schedule in which a routine schedule was normally registered, usually according to a pattern in which a routine pattern was pre-registered. Removal of an irregular schedule from an object to be managed as a routine schedule or manage after input (delete or change the routine schedule in a bundle) is difficult. For example, the conventional system was cannot register a partial change of a pattern such as xe2x80x9cMorning meeting starts at 10:00 in this month onlyxe2x80x9d.
Further, when it was desired to change a routine pattern of a specific period, for example, to change a schedule which was initially registered for every Monday for one year from January 1 to every Tuesday from April to December, a later change encompassing periods of two patterns (every Wednesday from February to May, for example) could not be effected at one time so that the schedule had to be changed for each period (from February to March and from April to May) because the schedule was managed separately for each period (from January to March and from April to December). This invited a cumbersome operation.
Such routine schedule is, in many cases, common to a plurality of members of an organization unit and registered as a long term routine schedule. However, such schedule of an organization unit may be subject to a change. In this case, the change is often not limited to an individual and may be applicable to other persons (change of the day of the week of a periodical meeting, for example). The conventional schedule management apparatus was very inefficient because the schedule had to be changed individually though the change was common.
It is an object of this invention to provide a schedule management system of an improved operability in which a change or a deletion by one person can be reflected to a group of persons who share a same routine schedule.
It is another object of this invention to provide a schedule management system of an improved work efficiency with a reduced occurrence of an input error by managing a schedule management work in a bundle rather than individually as done conventionally.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a schedule management system of an improved operability which flexibly cope with a routine schedule in which an exceptional change occurs.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a schedule management system which allows a routine schedule and a normal schedule to be grasped at the same time while intuitively recognizing the distinction therebetween.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a schedule management system in which resources required upon execution are reduced.
By inputting a regularly and periodically occurring schedule for a plurality of arbitrary users together with a period of occurrence and a condition of occurrence, a schedule of a corresponding day is automatically generated for the plurality of users. All the generated schedules are associated with a common routine schedule number and a common sum schedule number for each day. The schedules registered in this manner can be changed and deleted individually and in a bundle.
This invention provides, in one aspect thereof, a method of displaying a schedule of at least a part of a plurality of users on a schedule management apparatus which is provided with a display screen and an input device for managing individual schedule information which is registered for each of the plurality of users, said method comprising the steps of;
(a) specifying a plurality of users and detecting an operation instructing a schedule sum,
(b) obtaining user identification information which uniquely identifies each of said specified plurality of users,
(c) displaying a sum schedule input area for inputting a schedule common to said specified plurality of users on said display screen in response to said operation,
(d) receiving a user input including a schedule starting time, a schedule ending time and a condition of the date a schedule is set in said sum schedule input area,
(e) generating schedule data including the schedule starting time and the schedule ending time for said specified plurality of users for each of a plurality of set dates corresponding to said condition of the date a schedule is set,
(f) generating a routine schedule number corresponding to the schedule information inputted in said sum schedule input area,
(g) generating a sum schedule number corresponding to the schedule information inputted in said sum schedule input area for each of said plurality of set dates,
(h) correlating user schedule data of said specified plurality of users to said routine schedule number and registering said user schedule data in correlation to the set date and said sum schedule number, and
(i) displaying the schedule of at least a part of said specified plurality of users based on the user schedule data of said at least a part of users.
Incidentally, the term xe2x80x9csum schedule input areaxe2x80x9d as used in the claims of this specification is a concept including a schedule input panel and a sum schedule line to be described later.
This invention provides, in another aspect thereof, a method of changing schedule data on a schedule management apparatus which is provided with a display screen and an input device, said method comprising the steps of;
(a) displaying a plurality of user schedule information items including information of a schedule starting time and a schedule ending time,
(b) detecting that one of said plurality of user schedule information items is specified,
(c) obtaining information of a changed period and a changed content inputted by an operator,
(d) determining whether or not a routine number and a sum number are associated with the user schedule data of said changed period, and
(e) reregistering the routine number and the sum number associated with said one of the user schedule information item, and user schedule data associated with a common routine number and a common sum number according to the changed content when it is determined that a routine number and a sum number are associated with the user schedule data of said changed period.
This invention provides, in a further aspect thereof, a schedule management system which is provided with a display screen and an input device and manages individual schedule information which are registered for each of the plurality of users, said system comprising;
(a) an event detecting part for specifying a plurality of users and detecting an operation instructing a schedule sum,
(b) a sum schedule input area for inputting a schedule common to said specified plurality of users on said display screen,
(c) a routine schedule data generating part, responsive to a schedule starting time, a schedule ending time and a condition of the date a schedule is set inputted, for generating schedule data including the schedule starting time and the schedule ending time for said specified plurality of users for each of a plurality of set dates corresponding to said condition of the date a schedule is set in said sum schedule input area,
(d) a routine schedule number generating part for generating a routine schedule number corresponding to schedule information inputted in said sum schedule input area,
(e) a sum schedule number generating part for generating a sum schedule number corresponding to the schedule information inputted in said sum schedule input area and allocated to each of said plurality of set dates, and
(f) a user schedule management table for correlating user schedule data of said specified plurality of users to said routine schedule number and registering said user schedule data in correlation to the set dates and said sum schedule number.
This invention provides, in a further aspect thereof, a schedule management system which is provided with a display screen and an input device, said system comprising;
(a) a display device for displaying a plurality of user schedule information items including a schedule starting time and a schedule ending time,
(b) an event detecting part for detecting that one of said plurality of user schedule information items is specified,
(c) a schedule data input panel for obtaining information of a changed period and a changed content, and
(d) a control part for reregistering the routine number and the sum number associated with said one of the user schedule information item, and user schedule data associated with a common routine number and a common sum number according to the changed content when a routine number and a sum number are associated with the user schedule data of said changed period.
This invention provides, in a further aspect thereof, a storage medium storing a schedule management program for displaying a schedule of at least a part of a plurality of users on a schedule management apparatus which is provided with a display screen and an input device and manages individual schedule information which is registered for each of the plurality of users, said schedule management program comprising;
(a) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to specify a plurality of users and detect an operation instructing a schedule sum,
(b) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to obtain user identification information which uniquely identifies each of said specified plurality of users,
(c) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to display a sum schedule input area for inputting a schedule common to said specified plurality of users on said display screen in response to said operation,
(d) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to receive a user input including a schedule starting time, a schedule ending time and a condition of the date a schedule is set in said sum schedule input area,
(e) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to generate schedule data including the schedule starting time and the schedule ending time for said specified plurality of users for each of a plurality of set dates corresponding to said condition of the date a schedule is set,
(f) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to generate a routine schedule number corresponding to the schedule information inputted in said sum schedule input area,
(g) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to generate a sum schedule number corresponding to the schedule information inputted in said sum schedule input area for each of said plurality of set dates,
(h) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to correlate user schedule data of said specified plurality of users to said routine schedule number and registering said user schedule data in correlation to the set date and said sum schedule number, and
(i) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to display the schedule of at least a part of said specified plurality of users based on the user schedule data of said at least a part of users.
This invention provides, in a further aspect thereof, a storage medium storing a schedule management program for changing schedule data on a schedule management apparatus which is provided with a display screen and an input device, said schedule management program comprising;
(a) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to display a plurality of user schedule information items including information of a schedule starting time and a schedule ending time,
(b) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to detect that one of said plurality of user schedule information items is specified,
(c) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to obtain information of a changed period and a changed content inputted by an operator,
(d) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to determine whether or not a routine number and a sum number are associated with the user schedule data of said changed period, and
(e) a program code for instructing said schedule management apparatus to reregister the routine number and the sum number associated with said one of the user schedule information item, and user schedule data associated with a common routine number and a common sum number according to the changed content when it is determined that a routine number and a sum number are associated with the user schedule data of said changed period.